Western Conference Final
Colorado Avalanche at Vegas Golden Knights
Game 4 – 9:00 PM ET
REFEREES |
||||||
Gord Dwyer #19 |
Kelly Sutherland #11 |
|||||
| Games ’25-26 (RS/PO) | 70 / 10 | 76 / 8 | ||||
| Career Games (RS/PO) | 1383 / 137 | 1680 / 260 | ||||
| First NHL Game | 11/19/05 | 12/19/00 | ||||
| First Playoff Game | 4/16/14 | 4/9/03 | ||||
| Birthplace | Lower Sackville, NS | Richmond, BC | ||||
| Goals/Gm | 6.2 (15) | 5.9 (27) | 6.0 (28) | 5.9 (28) | ||||
| PP Opp/Gm | 6.2 (9) | 5.3 (28) | 5.7 (21) | 5.4 (18) | ||||
| PPG/Gm | 1.2 (19) | 1.1 (32) | 1.2 (24) | 1.0 (40) | ||||
| Penl/Gm | 7.5 (17) | 6.6 (29) | 8.1 (3) | 6.8 (20) | ||||
| PIM/Gm | 19.1 (9) | 6.6 (26) | 21.1 (2) | 16.2 (21) | ||||
| % of Penl on Home | 47.3% (36) | 50.0% (29) | 49.7% (7) | 50.0% (9) | ||||
| % PP Opp for Home | 54.2% (6) | 50.0% (14) | 48.8% (36) | 50.0% (34) | ||||
| Penl Diff.* | 1.6 (1) | 1.4 (13) | 1.2 (29) | 1.2 (27) | ||||
| Home Win % | 51% (34) | 64% (14) | 64% (8) | 60% (27) | ||||
| Home Rec. | 31-30-9 | 44-25-4 | 44-24-7 | 42-27-5 | ||||
| OT/SO Games | 17.4% (34) | 20.0% (35) | 21.3% (30) | 10.0% (39) | ||||
| Team Records | 25-26 | 24-25 | 23-24 | 25-26 | 24-25 | 23-24 |
| COL | 6-0-0 | 4-3-0 | 2-1-0 | 3-1-0 | 0-3-1 | 1-1-0 |
| VGK | 3-2-0 | 3-0-1 | 4-0-0 | 1-1-1 | 3-2-0 | 4-3-0 |
|
||||||
Matt MacPherson #83 |
Bevan Mills #53 |
|||||
| Games ’25-26 (RS/PO) | 77 / 9 | 77 / 9 | ||||
| Career Games (RS/PO) | 1039 / 133 | 592 / 45 | ||||
| First NHL Game | 10/11/11 | 11/29/16 | ||||
| First Playoff Game | 4/17/14 | 5/16/21 | ||||
| Birthplace | Antigonish, NS | Surrey, BC | ||||
Tonight’s officiating quartet of refs Gord Dwyer and Kelly Sutherland with lineys Matt MacPherson and Bevan Mills are back together, coming off MTL/CAR Game 2 in the Eastern Conference Final.
The Vegas Golden Knights are 0-4 this postseason under tonight’s refs. Colorado is 2-1.
Dwyer worked Round 2 with Francis Charron, officiating PHI/CAR Game 2, ANA/VGK Game 4 (VGK L 4-3), MIN/COL Game 5 (COL W 4-3 OT), and MTL/BUF Game 6. He skated with Pierre Lambert during the opening round of the playoffs at MIN/DAL Game 3, UTA/VGK Game 3 (VGK L 4-2), PHI/PIT Game 6, and BOS/BUF Game 6.
Sutherland worked with Corey Syvret in Round 1, handling UTA/VGK Game 2 (VGK L 3-2), LAK/COL Game 3 (COL W 4-2), and BOS/BUF Game 5. He skated alongside referee TJ Luxmore in Round 2 at PHI/CAR Game 1, ANA/VGK Game 2 (VGK L 3-1), COL/MIN Game 3 (COL L 5-1), and MTL/BUF Game 4.
Once more, for those who missed it last time, referee Gord Dwyer is NOT the same guy who played for the Montreal Canadiens (2002-04) and was signed by the Carolina Hurricanes in 2004 but never played a game with the team. Different guy. That was Gordie Dwyer, who’s currently head coach and GM of the QMJHL’s Newfoundland Regiment Hockey Club.
Linesperson Matt MacPherson skated with Travis Gawryletz in the opening round – joining up with Scott Cherrey for MTL/TBL Game 7 – and Julien Fournier in the second. Bevan Mills manned the lines with David Brisebois in Round 1 and Kiel Murchison in Round 2.
Games: PS (Preseason); RS (Regular Season); PO (Playoffs)
Stats/Numbers: ’25-26 avg. (’25-26 rank) | ’24-25 avg. (’24-25 rank)
Number in orange/parentheses indicated referee’s rank among active officials.
* Penalty Differential represents the absolute value of the variance of penalty calls by team per game. If Team A takes two more penalties (or two fewer) than Team B, this is a 2. Lower numbers indicate less variance between total penalties in a game – that is, a closer number of calls for both teams.
We’ve also got new rules, new refs, promoted officials, and an updated pronunciation guide for 2025-26.
The NHL officials working the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs:
NHL Officials Advancing to Round 2 of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs
